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A/B Battery Switch
wrote in message ups.com... Brian Cleveland wrote: " JimH" jimh_osudad@yahooDOT comREMOVETHIS wrote in message . .. I am putting in a 2nd battery on my boat and will need an A/B switch. Is the field disconnect one (such as this one http://tinyurl.com/pa9hn ) always the way to go, or is the one that is $10 cheaper but lack field disconnect a better option? I do not switch to the other battery while under power.....never have and do not plan to now. The switch will not be out in the open for anyone to fool with. So save the $10 bucks or get the higher priced one? The Field Disconnect does require 2 extra wires but would probably be worth it to keep from frying the alternator by accidently switching to off with engine running. Scroll down to page 11 in following link http://tinyurl.com/8ffe7 brian c m/v canwegonow See there? Something new under the sun all the time. This "Field Disconnect" feature is a recent introduction, AFAIK. Ed was right about the couple of extra wires, and you're right about the 15 minutes and $15 in wire being worth doing. The heart of a pwerboat is the engine, and the batteries are the "pacemaker"for that heart. If a guy wants to go second class on something, (IMO), the place to go cheap is the galley stove, the number of superflous bells and whistles in the electro-nav system, or some other area that isn't going to stop the boat from running. The switches I was originally choosing between were both manufactured by the same company and were identical in every way except for the field disconnect feature on the more expensive one. I was not about to go "cheap" or "2nd class" Chuck. ;-) |
A/B Battery Switch
JimH wrote: Have you ever dealt with ProMariner battery switches? http://tinyurl.com/krkkl I can save the $10 and still get field disconnect. I lean toward Perko from years of successful operation, or toward Blue Sea from what I know about their products in general. ProMariner may be fine as well, but I would have to admit that I have a personal prejudice toward that trademark as I once owned a ProMariner battery charger that cooked the living stink out of some batteries. If I were going to buy a new swtich today, my choice might be: http://www.bluesea.com/product.asp?P...58&l1=7458&l2= Blue Sea also has a new design, the E-Series, and that switch won some sort of award for innovation in 2005. Might also be worth a look. They also offer a "field disconnect" model, (or you can install a "Zap Stop", and that doesn't require any wiring except on the back of the alternator itself). |
A/B Battery Switch
JimH wrote: wrote in message ups.com... Brian Cleveland wrote: " JimH" jimh_osudad@yahooDOT comREMOVETHIS wrote in message . .. I am putting in a 2nd battery on my boat and will need an A/B switch. Is the field disconnect one (such as this one http://tinyurl.com/pa9hn ) always the way to go, or is the one that is $10 cheaper but lack field disconnect a better option? I do not switch to the other battery while under power.....never have and do not plan to now. The switch will not be out in the open for anyone to fool with. So save the $10 bucks or get the higher priced one? The Field Disconnect does require 2 extra wires but would probably be worth it to keep from frying the alternator by accidently switching to off with engine running. Scroll down to page 11 in following link http://tinyurl.com/8ffe7 brian c m/v canwegonow See there? Something new under the sun all the time. This "Field Disconnect" feature is a recent introduction, AFAIK. Ed was right about the couple of extra wires, and you're right about the 15 minutes and $15 in wire being worth doing. The heart of a pwerboat is the engine, and the batteries are the "pacemaker"for that heart. If a guy wants to go second class on something, (IMO), the place to go cheap is the galley stove, the number of superflous bells and whistles in the electro-nav system, or some other area that isn't going to stop the boat from running. The switches I was originally choosing between were both manufactured by the same company and were identical in every way except for the field disconnect feature on the more expensive one. I was not about to go "cheap" or "2nd class" Chuck. ;-) Belt *and* suspenders is very good policy aboard a boat. One of the abstract things that I believe boaters find appealing is the very self-contained and self-reliant environment we assume the responsibility to create and/or manage as we make choices about equipment and policies aboard our boats and as we make decisions underway. We are more disconnected from the "system" aboard a boat than almost anywhere else in our lives, unless we backpack up into the mountains someplace (and I have this negative attitude about walking mile after mile up very steep trails with a 70-pound pack on my back). We risk our financial fortunes, our vacation or weekend happiness, and once in a while maybe even our lives with the choices we make about and aboard our boats. My policy is to go for the best available stuff whenever safety or mechanical reliability is an issue, but I often choose less than top-of-the-line for stereos or other toys that aren't critical to reliability or safety. |
A/B Battery Switch
" JimH" jimh_osudad@yahooDOT comREMOVETHIS wrote in message . .. I am putting in a 2nd battery on my boat and will need an A/B switch. Is the field disconnect one (such as this one http://tinyurl.com/pa9hn ) always the way to go, or is the one that is $10 cheaper but lack field disconnect a better option? I do not switch to the other battery while under power.....never have and do not plan to now. The switch will not be out in the open for anyone to fool with. So save the $10 bucks or get the higher priced one? Thanks for the good discussion folks. You convinced me to buy the one with the field disconnect. ;-) |
A/B Battery Switch
" JimH" jimh_osudad@yahooDOT comREMOVETHIS wrote in message . .. " JimH" jimh_osudad@yahooDOT comREMOVETHIS wrote in message . .. I am putting in a 2nd battery on my boat and will need an A/B switch. Is the field disconnect one (such as this one http://tinyurl.com/pa9hn ) always the way to go, or is the one that is $10 cheaper but lack field disconnect a better option? I do not switch to the other battery while under power.....never have and do not plan to now. The switch will not be out in the open for anyone to fool with. So save the $10 bucks or get the higher priced one? Thanks for the good discussion folks. You convinced me to buy the one with the field disconnect. ;-) Make sure your alternator has an external regulator. Otherwise you will be wasting your money. Jim |
A/B Battery Switch
"JIMinFL" wrote in message ink.net... " JimH" jimh_osudad@yahooDOT comREMOVETHIS wrote in message . .. " JimH" jimh_osudad@yahooDOT comREMOVETHIS wrote in message . .. I am putting in a 2nd battery on my boat and will need an A/B switch. Is the field disconnect one (such as this one http://tinyurl.com/pa9hn ) always the way to go, or is the one that is $10 cheaper but lack field disconnect a better option? I do not switch to the other battery while under power.....never have and do not plan to now. The switch will not be out in the open for anyone to fool with. So save the $10 bucks or get the higher priced one? Thanks for the good discussion folks. You convinced me to buy the one with the field disconnect. ;-) Make sure your alternator has an external regulator. Otherwise you will be wasting your money. Jim It is already ordered. I guess I can always trade it in for the one without field disconnect if I do not have an external regulator on my alternator. Thanks for the heads up. I should have waited for more feedback before making the purchase. Note to Reggie: Do you see now why I asked for a discussion of this? A couple of folks, including me, have learned some new things about these switches that were not known before. ;-) |
A/B Battery Switch
Note to Reggie: Do you see now why I asked for a discussion of this? A couple of folks, including me, have learned some new things about these switches that were not known before. ;-) JimH, I said the exact same thing after Chuck's post and was the reason I thought you asked the question. Now if this was my Perko switch and my boat, I would never use JiminFla post or even Chuck's post as the gospel. I have seen too many incorrect advice given in rec.boats to follow any of the recommendations. At this point, I would contact Perko directly and get their recommendations and ask them if JiminTampa observations is correct. -- Reggie "That's my story and I am sticking to it." |
A/B Battery Switch
"Reggie Smithers" wrote in message ... Note to Reggie: Do you see now why I asked for a discussion of this? A couple of folks, including me, have learned some new things about these switches that were not known before. ;-) JimH, I said the exact same thing after Chuck's post and was the reason I thought you asked the question. Now if this was my Perko switch and my boat, I would never use JiminFla post or even Chuck's post as the gospel. I have seen too many incorrect advice given in rec.boats to follow any of the recommendations. At this point, I would contact Perko directly and get their recommendations and ask them if JiminTampa observations is correct. -- Reggie "That's my story and I am sticking to it." Whatever. |
A/B Battery Switch
JimH wrote:
"Reggie Smithers" wrote in message ... Note to Reggie: Do you see now why I asked for a discussion of this? A couple of folks, including me, have learned some new things about these switches that were not known before. ;-) JimH, I said the exact same thing after Chuck's post and was the reason I thought you asked the question. Now if this was my Perko switch and my boat, I would never use JiminFla post or even Chuck's post as the gospel. I have seen too many incorrect advice given in rec.boats to follow any of the recommendations. At this point, I would contact Perko directly and get their recommendations and ask them if JiminTampa observations is correct. -- Reggie "That's my story and I am sticking to it." Whatever. You did ask for our opinions didn't you? I gave you my opinion. The reason I did is how do you know who gave you the correct advice, was it Chuck, who didn't say the separate regulator was necessary or was it JiminFl who gave you the correct advice when he said the more expensive one was useless if you didn't have a separate regulator. If we wait a few more days, I am sure we will have many more experts give conflicting recommendations. How do you decide what advice to follow? So, for this reason, I gave you my advice of contacting Perko. -- Reggie "That's my story and I am sticking to it." |
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